ARTICLE AD
The Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has arrested a 38-year-old woman, Chinyere Chukwu, for attempting to sell her two sons.
Chukwu, a resident of Okija in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state, allegedly conspired with her 17-year-old daughter, Joy, to sell the boys, citing economic hardship as the motive.
Chukwu, during interrogation, revealed, “I have 11 kids, and when I could not cater to them, I decided to sell two of them. Since they are boys, the prices were kept at N1 million each, but after serious bargaining by the commissioner, who posed as the buyer, we decided to sell them at N1.8 million, instead of the initial N2 million. I developed an interest in the business after my neighbour successfully sold one of her kids. This was my first attempt at the business.”
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, who posed as a buyer during the operation, expressed her concern. “I had only two kids for my husband and got the remaining nine children after my husband’s demise, and ever since then, I have not been able to give them adequate care and support.”
Chukwu’s 17-year-old daughter added that the plan was to use the proceeds to fund her tertiary education. In response, Obinabo ordered the remaining children to be taken into the state government’s custody for proper care. She also vowed to apprehend the woman’s neighbour, who had sold off her own child. Obinabo assured the government’s commitment to eradicating such crimes and warned that anyone found engaging in such acts would be handed over to the police and prosecuted.